Combined elevator-door-locking and circuit-controlling device



F. A. BOEDTCHER. comamso ELEVATOR DOOR LOCKING AND cmcun' CONTROLLING pzvlpz. APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. I915.

1,41 3,570, Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

f5 ig- INVENTOR WITNESSES I 1 I Attor neys and Circuit-Controlling Device, of which the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ A. BOEDTCHER, 0F IBERGENFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

Application filed May 29, 1915. Serial No. 31,237.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRAN A. BOEDTCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Bergenfield, county of Bergen, and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Combined Elevator Door Locking following is a specification.

This invention is a device adapted to be mounted upon an elevator floor door, and the object of the invention is to provide means for locking the door in its closed position and, also, for governing an electric circuit associated with the elevator.

A. salient feature of the present invention resides in the combination of mechanism whereby an elevator car cannot be started until the shaft doors at the respective landings are closed and locked.

In one of its practical forms, the invention embodies a pivoted locking member mounted upon the inner side of a shaftdoor and adapted to cooperate with a complementary locking member fixedly positioned upon the door-frame. Mounted upon the door is a toggle member, one end of which is pivotally secured to the door and the opposite end of which is secured to the locking member mounted on the door, whereby the, operation of the toggle member in one direction servesto disengage the locking member on the door from the complementary locking member on the door-frame, but the weight of said devices operating to gravitate the pivoted locking member into its locking po-' sition when the toggle member is released. In combination with the mechanism described, is a switch member mounted upon the door-frame and provided with means adapted to engage with the locking member of the door when the door is in its closed, locked position, but adapted to disengage from said member at all other times, where by the door in its closed, locked'position completes an electric circuit otherwise open.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings;

In the accompanylng drawings, I have illustrated different practical embodiments of the present invention, but the constructions shown therein are to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limitsof the invention.

Figure 1 is a fragmental elevation of a shaft door-frame and its cooperating door, which partsembody the present invention. The parts shown in Figure l are viewed from the elevator shaft.

Figure 2 is a section through the door, saidlsection being taken on line 22 of Figure e Figure 3 is a detached detail view of cerswitch mechanism employed, and

Figure 4- is a view similar to that shown in Figure 1, illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, A designates an elevator dooro'f any well known and conventional type, which is mounted for sliding movement within a door-frame B. Referring particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, C denotes an attaching plate which is rigidly secured on the inner face of the door and near the upper free edge thereof by means of screws 0. Pivoted to attaching plate C and near one end'thereof, as by a pin d, is ae in such manner as to lie immediately beneath latch member D. Therupper surface of keeper E is serrated'or toothed, as at 6,.

and with the serrations or teeth of said member is adapted to cooperate finger d of pivot latch D. When said finger is in engagement with any one of said teeth, the opening ofdoor A will, manifestly, be precluded and, even though the door is not absolutely closed, 1t cannot be given any movement other than such movement as will completely close the door.

From the construction thus far described, it appears that, when it is desired to open the door, the latch D must necessarily be lifted on its point of pivoting to free its finger d from engagement with the teeth of keeper E, and this may be readily accomplished through the employment of a toggle member F, shown as composed of two links f 7' which are pivoted together, as at F, and the opposite ends of the toggle thus formed pivotally secured, one to a rigid fixture g on the door, and the other to a pivot pin 9 mounted on the latch D. The links f f of the toggle member are, when the latch" is in its locking position, considerably out of alinement and this is the nor it is desired to unlock the door for the purpose of opening the same, the elevator operator grasps one of the links and exerts a pull thereon in a direction to open the door, thereby shitting said links toward a position wherein they would be in substantial ahnement. This straightening out of the toggle member causes latch D to be lifted, thereby disengaging the linger d 'lrom keeper E, whereupon a continued pull by the operator slides the door to an open position.

In order that the toggle member may never be entirely straightened out, the upward movement ol the latch is limited by a projection a mounted on attaching plate C, while the downward pivotal movement of the latch is limited by a similar projection 0 This latter projection precludes the dropping ot' the latch beyond a predetermined point when the same is not in engagement with keeper E. h Ioreover, the position 01 the projection c is such that, when the door is closed, after being opened, the latch will be so positioned as to readily engage with the keeper E. Thus, the operator oi the car may readily open and close the door at will, and, after the door is opened, or as soon as the operator removes his hand from toggle member if, the weight of the toggle member, accelerated by the weight ol the latch, will cause the parts to gravitate to the normally depressed position of the latch, as shown in 'lull lines in Figure l. The dotted line position in Figure 1 shows the position oil the toggle member and latch when operated. by the ele *ator attendant in opening the door.

it is well recognized that elevator operators, in their haste to leave a floor after taking on passengers, are very apt to carelessly close the door, sometimes employing insullicient pressure to completely close the same, and, at other times, banging the door with such torce as to cause a rebounding action. In either case, when the elevator leaves the floor, the door is left partially open, and accidents not infrequently result. According to the present invention, this is precluded by suitable mechanism cooperating with the door locking devices, whereby the elevator car cannot leave a floor until the door at said floor is entirely closed and locked. In the embodiment of the invention shown in l igures l, 2 and 3. latch I is constructr-xl of such length as to extend beyond the free edge of the door, whereby such extended end is adapted to cooperate with suitable switch mechanism for making or breaking an electric circuit associated with the car operating mechanism.

The switch mechanism referred to may be of any well known type, but the same is shown in the drawings as embodying an arm I which is pivoted, as at i, to a block of insulation 2', through the medium of suitable rigid supporting arms 2' Arm I carries a metallic portion J, which, when manipulated into a predetermined position, completes a circuit through brushes j, which are electrically connected to negative and positive mains Z Z, respectively. Mains Z Z preferably control the operation oil. the elevator so that, when the switch at any door is open, the elevator cannot leave said floor until the circuit is completed at that point, and, since it is desirable to preclude the starting of the car until the door is closed and locked, the present invention (1011 templates the cooperative effect between the door locking mechanism and the switch mechanism for carrying out the result desired.

To this end, the pivoted arm I ol? the switch and latch l) are made of such length as to overlap one another when the door is completely closed, and said pivot arm is provided with a projection m which is adapted to be engaged and depressed by latch D for the purpose of oscillating arm I on its pivotal point. Arm 1 is normally maintained in its circuit breaking position, as shown in Figure 3, by means ol. the contact j which is in the form of a spring. However, when the door is closed and the weight ol the latch D is imposed upon projection in, sufficient force is applied to depress the arm I, thereby completing the circuit between the contacts j 7", through contact member J, as shown in Figure 1. Thus, when the door is in the act 0t closing and the latch member is passing over the keeper E, in its elevated position, the door, when completely closed, will -arry said latch member into overlapping relation with pivoted member I, but, when the closed position is reached, the latch will drop by gravity, thereby engaging projection m and depressing the same to complete the circuitas aforesaid. If, however, the door is not completely closed, the latch member will drop to its normally depressed position without reaching over the frame sullicicntly to engage with the projection m, and, Accordingly, the circuit will not be ('lOSGd. Moreover, it the door is slammed with such force as to cause the same to rebound betore the latch member an. properly secure the same in closed position, the projection m will not be engaged and the elevator car cannot be started until the door is com pletely closed. Regarding the last feature, it may be stated that the slamming of the door with such force as to cause a rebound which will leave the door in open position cannot occur, for the reason that the latch member so constructed that it will positively engage with its keeper the instant the door ceases its movement in one direction, thereby precluding the rebound so common in elevator doors.

llltl It will be manifest from the foregoing that, before a car can leave a floor at which it is stopped, it is absolutely essential for the elevator operator to actuate the parts to completely close thedoor; otherwise, the mechanism for operating the elevator will be rendered dead and the car cannot be started. until the door is closed to energize the circuit as aforesaid.

In the slightly modified form of the invention shown in Figure 4;, N is the latch, pivoted at n, and provided with an upwardly extending stop finger n, which is adapted to engage with a toothed keeper 0 mounted upon the overhanging portion of the door frame. The switchinechanism P, which corresponds to the switch mechanism shown in Figures 1 and 3, is substantially identical therewith in its salient particulars, with theexception that, in lieu of the projection m on the pivoted arm I, a roller 0 is provided, which is adapted to cooperate with the upper surface of a cam-plate Q mounted upon latch N. A toggle member F, similar to that hereinbefore described, is pivoted to the latch for operating the same in the manner already set forth. The structure shown in Figure 4 is substantially the same as that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, with the exception. that the mechanism for looking the door in closed position is located on the upper portion of the door-frame, rather than at the side thereof.

Other modifications than? those shown may be made in adapting the present invention to its various environments, and the same is, therefore, not limited to the specific structural features illustrated, but is considered as broadly novel as commensurate with the appended claims. Throughout the foregoing description, and in the drawings, the adaptation of the present invention to sliding elevator doors is considered, but it will be apparent that the invention may be readily attached to doors of the swinging type. This may be accomplished, e. g., in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, by simply bending the latch D, intermediate the toggle member F and the free end thereof, into a position at right angles to the remaining part of the latch, and then mounting the keeper E and switch device in relative cooperative positions upon the door-frame. The structure shown in Figure it may also be modified to meet the conditions encountered in swinging doors, and, accordingly, the invention is not to be understood as restricted, in its adaptability, to sliding doors only, as such is not the case.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the class described, a

keeper mounted in fixed position on a door casing and provided with at least one serrature, a gravity latch pivotally mounted on the door associated with said casing and having a serrature inclined in the opposite direction to the serrature of the keeper, whereby, when the serratures of the latch and keeper are brought into engagement, in advertent opening of the door is precluded, and means for pivotally moving the latch free from engagement with the keeper to allow of the opening of the door, said latch being provided with a projecting portion, whereby an electric switch may be controlled when the door is in closed position, said pro-. jecting portion serving to effect a closing of the switch only when the gravity latch is in door locking position. I

2. In a device of the class described, a keeper mounted in fixed position on a door casing and provided with a plurality of serratures, inclined in the same direction, a gravity latch pivotally mounted on the door associated with said casing and having a serrature inclined in the opposite direction to those of the keeper, whereby, when the latch is brought into juxtaposition with the keeper, the former gravitates into engagement with the latter and inadvertent open ing of the door is precluded, and a toggle secured at one end to the latch and at its other end to the door with its weight normally imposed upon the latch for accelerating the operation thereof and adapted, when the parts of the toggle are actuated to approach alinement, to lift the latch free from engagement with the keeper to allow of the opening of the door, said latch being provided with a projecting portion whereby an electric switch may be controlled when the door is in closed position, said projecting portion serving to effect a closing of the switch only when the gravity latch is in door locking position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANZ A. BOEDTCHER. 

